The New Year begins, but what will happen in Iraq? Looking at the cards, it seems things will be more complex than the United States thought and the second Bush Presidency will be trying different things than it has tried so far.

The Significator, this is what the Tarot reading speaks to: Ace of Swords The Sword of Power. Excalibur. The force upholding the crown Laurels and the olive branch hang from the crown. The President's foreign policy has been based on military strength and it is no secret he believes this. He also believes he won re-election, unlike his father, because he managed to topple the leadership in Iraq. The US enjoys clear military superiority. Comparisons to Vietnam, though tempting, are not apt. There is no strong opposition or leadership from a "North Vietnam" type of regime nor is Iraq split the way Vietnam was. This gives the US forces an easier time and this card shows that will be the case at least until spring, for the Ace of Swords is also the card signifying winter.

Covering Card, this covers him: The Lovers. Eden. I break here with the "book" on Tarot reading and go with what this card means in this spread. Adam and Eve, the apple, the serpent, an angel. Which angel? The traditional meanings are: choices between head and heart; the conscious versus subconscious; having unexpected things happen; having to make choices. Certainly that's in there. However, this card suggests that issues of the Holy Lands will determine a great deal about how the United States uses its might in the Persian Gulf. This will be a time when the President will truly be torn between his faith in God (which remains unshakable) and the best interests of the United States. He will have to balance these and try to make the two work together and there will be a great deal of pressure from the Department of State and the "Old Hands" to act in ways that might not square with his personal views.

Crossing Card, behind the scenes - everything has a secret side: The Magician, The Magus Perhaps one of the best and most powerful cards in the deck. This card means Mastery. All four of the Tarot's suits are before him to use - cups, wands, swords, and pentacles. The President has every resource at his disposal and so far he has relied primarily on the sword, but that may soon change, but not for the worse. The President will be riding high and there are powerful individuals who want to make sure that the Middle East is not destabilized by the presence of US forces.

The Foundation, this is below him on which he stands: Knight of Pentacles. Spending Money. This card suggests that the United States will increase its financial investments in Iraq, perhaps encouraging many business to invest there and not only those from the US. The figure is ready to ride and holds the coin - a knight of money, not a sword - his weapon is different from what has been used up to now. The nature of the investment will be broader than it has been in the past. There is a recognition in the administration that if money is spent on building/rebuilding an infrastructure, that it will be more effective and less costly than an extended military presence in that country. Often this card is associated with first-time spending. If it were a person's Tarot, it might indicate a teen spending his/her money and perhaps not foolishly, but certainly not with maturity - that would have to be the King of Pentacles, but this will mark a basic change in policy that will begin in the second term of the Bush Presidency.

Behind, this is finished business: The Eight of Swords. Isolation. Part of America's isolation has been its sole reliance on military power which has not endeared the nation to very many outside the United States. The aid that will be flowing to Iraq, in addition to other moves by the United States, will help to blunt foreign criticism, although not completely. The figure has been blind as to what to do until now. The President has not been able to see his way out of this until now, but that is behind him. President Bush may have felt immobilized until now, but that is changing.

Above, what is hanging in the air: Queen of Wands. A Wise Woman. Another excellent card for the President. Can this guy go wrong! He is charmed. He has a woman of high intelligence helping him and say what you will about Condoleezza Rice, she is going to see him through this, at least in the short term. That she is above rather than in front suggests not that she is a "maybe," which is the usual sense of the placement in the spread. In this case, she is pulling strings from above. There are those in the Administration who do not like what she is thinking and saying, but she has the President's ear and they can do little to stop her.

In Front, this is right in front. Two of Swords. A dilemma. The President for all the luck he is having is not out of the woods, yet. Remember the blindfolded woman behind him - the Eight of Swords? Well, she's still there and she's going to pop up again - right in front! The President's difficulties with America's allies will get better, but they are not going to completely disappear. The moon of Islam hangs in the sky, so my guess is that although European allies and those outside the Islamic world may soften, his toughest task will be to solidify support for what the United States is doing in a neighboring country. For example, if the US is building Iraq's economy and infrastructure, what will nearby nations bordering Iraq be thinking? Iran, a nation which not long ago was at war with Iraq may have reservations about what a secular and rebuilt Iraq might mean - and Iran is not alone.

The Outcome, the future: Six of Sword. Pulling Up Stakes. The woman and child head across the water carrying six swords with them. Well These six swords plus the two of the Two of Swords add up to Eight - which we saw was the card in "past" position in this spread. What this suggests is that while the President will enjoy more success in handling Iraq than critics fear, there will be longterm difficulties with the Islamic nations in the region that cannot be handled given the new strategy of rebuilding Iraq. Once the United States leaves, it will not erase its presence or influence. The economic ties may in fact alienate the other nations in the Middle East whose institutions are not democratic and who might see a rearmed and democratic Iraq as a negative example to their way of thinking

The Meaning Bush is a President of many Swords. Four of the eight cards are swords except for the Queen of Wands and the Knight of Pentacles which means that the President will continue to deal militarily with the Middle East and not because he wants to, necessarily. It's just how he got into the situation and so it will continue based on the existing momentum.

The two Higher Arcana cards - the Lovers and The Magician - represent the karmic forces. As before, these are the longterm aspects which will continue over the long haul. The "Old Hands" at the State Department are planning a policy many years beyond the Bush Presidency and are mindful of the emotions that run high in the region.

The United States is now more intimately involved in the Middle East than ever. With Israel still an ally and with Iraq now under US sway, the Two of Swords shows us that the balancing act must not only be between the President's own religious and secular view, but in balancing two nations in the tinderbox of the new millennium.

The United States has not been so powerful in the Middle East as it is today. Administering this region while not toppling any regimes will be the difficult task for the United States. The President's religious views are not those of most people in the Middle East nor of the the rulers and this will pose a challenge in forming a stable coalition of interests.

However, these issues will not surface until later and for now the President's approval rating will improve on his handling of Iraq. Rice will steer him right, at least for the short term.

Now with the election over, the United States Supreme Court is the next area where major changes will take place - in that arcane branch of government that no one knows all that much about. But we do know that there are changes in the offing and George Walker Bush will be sending names to Congress for confirmation and the cards suggest three new Justices will take their places on the bench before all is said and done and The Court once again will shift its voting patterns.

All signs point to the Supreme Court reasserting itself as a strong branch of the government.

The Significator, this is what the Tarot reading speaks to: The Three of Wands is the Lord of Established Strength. Unlike the Two of Wands which dominated the President's tarot for the rest of the year, the three shows the figure in command and looking over the land, sea, and sky. Three - the third branch of the government. This card is usually associated with courage of conviction and thoughts turning into reality. The robed figure holds the wand of power.

Covering Card, this covers him: The Seven of Pentacles. Concern for the Harvest. This sometimes is the card called "resting on your laurels." As the Court ages, some of the Justices are starting to think about retirement and all have also started to question themselves and reflect on what their time on the court has meant. Hardly an activist Court - a term that would be anathema to most of them - yet they wonder if they have made any difference at all and if, in fact, The Court has lost some of its stature and the Justices may be realizing that a Conservative President, Conservative Congress, and Conservative Court may not be a good recipe. The figure leans on the staff. Read no further than historynet.com, "Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist has just turned 80 and is in failing health, and senior Associate Justice John Paul Stevens is 84 -- virtually ensures that the president will be able to nominate at least two new justices during the four-year term that commences on January 20, 2005."

Crossing Card, behind the scenes - everything has a secret side: The Five of Cups, Despair and the Six of Cups Childhood.When two cards come (stuck) together during a "pull," the two cards are mean to be read together. This is a significant outcome. I see the Five of Cups being the Justices that rather consistently vote as a bloc. Three Justices will leave the Court during Bush's term - the three overturned cups that the figure in the black robe looks at. The two upright cups indicate that two of the appointments made during the next four years will be consistent with the bloc, but the third, as signified by the Six of Cups indicates a Justice who will be surprisingly independent and may end up swinging the court in leadership, not just votes. The Six of Cups does not mean that this third Justice is young in years as much as it means the Justice will be fresh in thought and not tied to old or set ways of thinking - and the President and the conservatives may be in for a surprise when The Court reasserts itself.

The Foundation, this is below him on which he stands: The Ace of Wands. Virility, fire, vitality. The Court is ready to be revitalized. The hand holds the staff - the same one in the Three of Wands, the Significator, and Seven of Pentacles, the Crossing Card. The Court's decisions have seemed ever more perfunctory, at least to the Justices, themselves. Reasserting itself as the third branch of the government will take more than a different voting pattern - it will take exciting the public's imagination - for better or worse.

Behind, this is finished business:The Hanged Man. Suspension of Progress. Yet again, a card that speaks to the perception of stagnation. The Court will be moving past this perception. The Court was put in place based on ideological litmus tests - left and right - and the Court is ready to start thinking for itself. It will be taking a less conservative stance on religion and also will rule more favorably, in aggregate, on the rights of privacy.

Above, what is hanging in the air: Queen of Cups. A Good Woman. In Bush's weekly tarot, this was Laura Bush, but in this case it may well be Sandra Day O'Connor. With two of the nine Justices, women, if either of the two female Justices steps down (O'Connor is 74 and Ginsberg is 71) there will be strong pressure on the Administration to keep at least two women Justices on the Court, if not three.

In Front, this is right in front. Six of Wands. The Conqueror's Triumph. This card is one of public acclaim. It is one of victory. It is a card of glory born of bold action. The laurel crown now hangs from the staff - no longer resting on the laurels, but wearing them, again.

The Outcome, the future: Eight of Cups. Continuation. The card shows the figure, still carrying the staff, moving on. The moon usually represents blockage, but the blockage has been broken and the old ways of doing things no longer work. The ideas that the Court has firmy held will begin to give way.

The Meaning

Unlike the President's tarot (through the end of the year) where swords predominated, the Court's tarot is one of wands and cups. The only pentacle that appears is the one having to do with concern about the harvest - meaning that the emotional capital is wasting away. And not one sword appears. This suggests that the battle won't be waged openly. but in a more gentle and subdued way, which will make it very effective.

The Higher Arcana cards do not appear, save for The Hanged Man. This is significant in that the Higher Arcana indicate more profound trends at work. My hunch is that this card represents the possibility that the Bush Court, even to his consternation, will be going away from the strict constructionist court. Less time will be spent reviewing what the founding fathers were thinking in 1789 (and after) and more time will be spent looking at what the words of the constitution mean to the Justices.

Before we get excited about this turning into another Warren Court, this probably won't happen - at least the cards aren't shouting that. What may happen is that Scalia my be counterbalanced in some way.

For some time, now, the Court has been somewhat narrow if not ideological. The Conservatives are feeling strong and with control of two branches of the government, the Bush legislative agenda may be rather vigorous. If we look back to the New Deal and Franklin D. Roosevelt, FDR, especially in the first term, Roosevelt's legislation sailed through Congress but faced a roadblock with the Court that said the legislation went too far and stepped on certain fundamental rights. New Deal programs were struck down to FDR's annoyance, prompting him to consider packing the Court- that is, increasing the number of Justices. That is not in the cards for Bush, but he may find that the Court will be less in his camp as the ideological legislation, especially over religion and privacy, if Congress goes too far, at least too far in the Court's view.

The Court may be sympathetic to conservatism, but at the same time they do not wish to be emasculated - as we saw with the Ace of Wands - and they are determined to be more than a perfunctory body.

Ironically, if the Congress and President put forth a wide range of conservative legislation, the Court may become the central branch of the next several years - even after Bush - as it determines which laws will be the law of the land and what legislation, for constitutional issues, they will in effect, veto.

My mother taught me Tarot. She was taught by the Gypsies - back in the old world. ALL cards are drawn at random from the deck. I will explain no more about me and cut to the chase.

President George's Bush's tarot for the rest of 2004.

First look at the Cards Bush will be playing with and their positions.

The Significator, this is what the Tarot reading speaks to: The Two of Wands is the Lord of Dominion. The picture says it all. The world in his hands, the two poles (wands) suggest a weighing of alternatives. Two factions within the administration are fighting to get his ear on where to take matters in the remaining days of his existing administration.

Covering Card, this covers him: The Three of Cups. Celebration to be sure what with the victory and the inaugural coming up. Yet, President Bush would be wise to be wary of his insiders. They may appear in harmony in front of him, but behind the scenes some of them are not pleased and have reservations about policy.

Crossing Card, behind the scenes - everything has a secret side: Queen of Swords. This is a powerful woman who wields the sword. Though she is a queen, she is old school and works to the benefit of conservative forces. She is deep in this mix of cards and working behind the scenes and she has as much to celebrate as Bush himself. Is this Condoleezza Rice? Whoever she is, she is far more powerful and central than even the President suspects.

The Foundation, this is below him on which he stands: Seven of Cups. Sometimes called Megalomania, this card is particularly troublesome, especially in this spot. This is not Bush himself, necessarily. It is the atmosphere around him as well. It verges on the Crime of Hubris. All things are possible, or so it seems, but after Hubris comes Nemesis and the President should be on guard against getting carried away.

Behind, this is finished business: Ten of Swords. Almost sacrificially, the figure lays on a lonely beach, stabbed in the back. The figure serves as an example to others. Kerry is out of the way as is Sadam. So is Colin Powell. The new Bush administration is truly going to go in new directions. Bush is sincere when he says he believes he has a mandate and he intends to make his second Presidency more vital than his first. The Queen of Swords survives while others are no longer part of the inner circle.

.

Above, what is hanging in the air: Five of Wands. A quarrel, an argument, a feud. Remember the crossing card? The inner circle's possible disaffection. Well, it may break out openly that the power struggle will erupt openly and the President may have trouble keeping the lid on. Certain factions within the administration are pushing for the President to act now, while he can, and rid himself of certain individuals who are a liability. Now's the time to do it as later it will be more obvious. What better time than during the appointments for the new administration - and it may be more than Donald Rumsfeld who is under fire.

.

In Front, this is right in front. Queen of Cups. The Queen of Hearts, as it were - an important woman, but not like the Queen of Swords. My take is that Laura Bush will be more important in this than people realize. The President found she was a valuable ally during the election, not only in getting votes, but also in thinking things through. The President and First Lady are discussing developments and those who do not take Laura into account are misunderestimating her influence.

The Outcome, the future: The High Priestess. Hidden forces at work. This goes well beyond the inner jockying for power within the administration. Notice the two pillars of power that we saw in the Significator - the two wands. The wood turns to marble. The woman holds the Torah. The B stands for Bereishith, the beginning, Genesis, J for the Prophets, Joshua being the first of them. Prophecy is being fulfilled. The crescent moon of Islam is also in the picture. The only card in this reading that is not a sword, wand, or cup. In Tarot this is called a "Higher Arcana" card. The week's events are minor, but they add up to something major for the future.

The Meanings

The President is feeling very upbeat and feels boundless optimism as the year ends. He is making the decisions he feels will assure his place in history and he is surrounding himself with like minded people. Laura Bush is his closest confidant in this and he believes he owes his re-election to her guidance.

The President wishes to consolidate his power and he knows that with the right team, his second term will assure his place in history.

The mid-East, obviously, is much on his mind, but it is so central to him that it crowds out most other things. For example, the reading drew no pentacles - coins, as it were - and so his concerns about money are in the background. The issues Bush wants to grapple with are those of Realpolitik. Like his father, international politics are far closer to his heart than those of the American economy and he is thinking that the American economy is best served by expanding America's might and influence overseas.

His Achilles heel is pictorialized in the Seven of Cups, the Foundation Card. The infinite possibilities are not as infinite as the President may believe. With the election over, the opposition is laying low and licking its wounds. Inauguration is always a time of celebration. All things seem possible.

And yet, the President does have his eyes square on the mid-East and he sees himself in prophesy and his political appointments also fulfill his religious vision of the future. Look to the last books of the New Testament if you want to understand what the President may be thinking. He is not going to force the end times, but his plan is to have the machinery in place if that should turn out to be so. But this is a minor note in this reading at this time.

This week will have longterm consequences and there will be some shifts of power, but the President at this moment is supremely confident and has every right to feel that way.

And the strange insight? For a President who is not for ERA, this man is very influenced by women and he trusts them more than he trusts men.